The Following

The Following Spoilers: Fresh Season Finale Scoop!!!

The Following's freshman season is coming to a close and star James Purefoy teases an "explosive, but literally and figuratively," and that the highly anticipated confrontation between Joe, Ryan and Claire is not to be missed! Plus, Purefoy spoils that fans will be on the edge of their seats for Agent Parker's finale performance, because it's especially "gripping."

Who will triumph, Joe or Ryan? Or neither? That's the big one. All season, The Following has been building to an ultimate showdown between Joe Carroll and Ryan Hardy (Kevin Bacon). The previous two episodes would seem to indicate that Ryan has the upper hand, with Joe coming apart at the seams both psychologically and physically (that stab wound has to be infected by now, no?). But will he defeat Joe once and for all? And, in some twisted logic, is that what Joe actually wants? "In a way, [Joe's] become much more dangerous since he started becoming unhinged," Purefoy says. "Because you really can't predict what he's going to do at all." Adds Williamson: "Joe Carroll has a vision for his ending, which sort of comes to hero vs. villain, who will win? ... This gothic horror story reaches its conclusion, which usually ends in someone's descent into insanity."

Who's going to get the girl? The girl, of course, being Claire (Natalie Zea), Joe's ex-wife and the love of Ryan's life. Joe's already told Ryan that the revised version of the story he's authoring involves Claire's death. "Although, is she going to die, or is he just using her as bait to get Ryan out?" Purefoy muses. Our money's on the latter, and here's why: From a writing standpoint, if Ryan's going to stick around in Season 2, it wouldn't make much sense for Williamson to kill Claire in the finale, since then Ryan would really have nothing to live for.

Does either Joe or Ryan have to die? The three most likely scenarios for the finale are Joe killing Ryan, Ryan killing Joe, or Joe winding up in prison again. As visceral as Ryan's hatred is for Joe, our favorite grizzled former FBI agent would be wise not to let emotions get the best of him in their final showdown. After all, Joe has an entire cult of followers who still pose a threat to the world at large. So Joe being carted off to jail seems like the most logical conclusion. "I don't think he'd be against being in prison again," Purefoy tells TVGuide.com. "But the trouble is, he has to be in prison with enough information that they don't put him into the chair. ... Obviously he doesn't want to die in that way." But it might not even matter. In a way, both Joe and Ryan are dead already, which Joe realizes when he hears Ryan say as much in last week's episode. "'You can't kill me. I'm already dead,'" Purefoy repeats. "That's I think probably how Joe feels ... that his soul is dead, and there's nothing alive in him. That's what makes [him and Ryan] such a compelling pair together. They're like zombies."

Is Parker going to survive? When we last saw Agent Debra Parker (Annie Parisse), she was gasping for air in a wooden coffin, having just been buried alive by two of Joe's minions. Not the best situation to be in. Williamson has already promised that some characters will die in the finale and unfortunately, Parker seems like the leading candidate to bite the dust (literally) at this point. But previews for the final episode show her on the phone with Ryan begging him for help, so maybe there's still hope? Our prediction: the climax will come down to Ryan having to choose whether to save Claire or Parker. Which will he pick?

What's going on with Molly? Who knows if Ryan's neighbor/friend with benefits Molly (Jennifer Ferrin) will even make an appearance in the finale? We're guessing Ryan won't have much time to kick back at home or fit in a little afternoon delight in the final episode. So let's think big picture. For kicks, let's assume Joe is either killed or arrested. Molly still may be on the loose, which would be a great segue into Season 2. How long would it take Ryan to figure out that Molly's actually been working for Joe? And if she ended up joining forces with Emma (Valorie Curry), let's just say we wouldn't want to get on the bad side of these crazy ladies. Speaking of which ...

How will Joe react to Emma killing Jacob? Perhaps not at all, according to Purefoy. "I don't know if he finds out actually in [the finale]," Purefoy says. "He has gone off with Claire on the boat and that's the last he sees of her for the time being, I think." Hmm. Could that mean that's also the last viewers see of Emma, at least until Season 2? Which brings us to our final looming question ...

Will the Joe vs. Ryan story line continue in Season 2? "You'll see," Williamson teases. "You'll know in the last minutes of the finale where we're headed, and you'll see how the show will continue." Of course, this is assuming both Ryan and Joe both make it out of the finale alive. Viewers probably shouldn't rule out the notion of Williamson killing off all the main characters and starting fresh in the sophomore season. "It's called 'The Final Chapter' for a reason," he hints. "We do conclude the story. We bring a close to the story, and some people live and some people die."

If you're anything like us, you're constantly bugging your TV-watching buddies to tell you "what happens next". But let's face it, they probably don't know either. Here at Spoilers Guide, we're all about blogging spoilers and know-how for the most popular series on TV. We aim to familiarize fans with upcoming story arcs and exclusive info before it even hits your small screen.